The latest edition of the Miami Heat Tip-Off, a weekly AllUCanHeat column, is here.
This Miami Heat team isn’t in playoff mode yet by any means.
But, if this home court stand is any indication of their short but maybe persistent turnaround, then they can make the case to sneak into the ranks with much optimism ahead.
The Heat are sitting on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference ten spot, with a rough record of 9-13; they are only one game behind the Washington Wizards and two games behind the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets, respectively.
Why can we expect a sliver of luck with our current four-game homestand?
Well for one, Dwyane Wade is back and is producing under pressure in clutch time.
In Goran Dragic’s absence (he has missed the last seven games), Wade has taken it upon himself to handle the distribution task. It has worked in their favor too, averaging 4.5 assists, a Heat team-best at the moment.
That has obviously worked extremely well for his teammates.
While the main objective is still for Josh Richardson to lead the team in the future, the farewell of Wade is what Miami needs in this transition phase, and they’re going to need him at 100 percent if they want to make one last run at the East.
They finished the month of November with an atrocious 5-9 record, with rotation issues still a major cause for concern. With Wade back as the floor general and this current 2-1 homestand record, Miami might be able to gain traction as the week progresses.
It might not completely be the answer to the season, but they’re taking baby steps as they look to climb back into the winning column.
Upcoming Games:
Tuesday, December 4 versus the Orlando Magic (Home)
Friday, December 7 versus the Phoenix Suns (Away)
Saturday, December 8 versus the Los Angeles Clippers (Away)
This Week’s Preview:
The Orlando Magic game is probably the most exciting one of the week. It’s a matchup in the Southeast Division, and an opportunity to gain closer to that eight spot (and once again playoff territory).
The bright side is that the Magic are on a 1-3 losing record in away games in the past week, but have a slight edge over Miami with a 1-0 overall record. This time, however, they play in South Beach, with Miami riding a hot two-game winning streak.
In other words, expect a division rival win in Miami tonight.
Their next game continues with more good news. The Phoenix Suns are the worst team in the league right now, with an overall record of 4-19, and riding a five-game losing streak. Unless Devin Booker breaks out a 40-50 point performance (something that is actually very possible by the way), the Heat should come out victorious.
Their last game of the week presents the most difficult challenge, as they take on the All-Star less gritty Los Angeles Clippers, who have been surprising both conferences this year.
They are tied for second best in the league with the Denver Nuggets, also another pleasant surprise, at 16-7 for the season. This team is clicking on all cylinders, ranking better than the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics.
The Clippers are 8-2 in their last 10 games, coming off an impressive 129-126 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Tobias Harris has been reaching All-Star caliber with 27 points in his last game. With our defensive rotations out of whack, expect the end of the week to end with a gloomy loss.
A 2-1 record, if successful, isn’t a bad week at all.
Let’s just hope they maintain position to make a small but significant leap in the standings.
This Week’s Challenges
Can the Heat end the week closer to .500?
When are Dragic and Dion Waiters coming back?
Hassan Whiteside continues to dominate the paint, but can he keep it up?
This is the Heat’s time to shine.